Georgia Tech Develops High-Temperature Membrane for PEM Fuel Cells

A breakthrough in the chemistry of fuel cells that use a polymer
electrolyte membrane (PEM) could allow them to operate at higher
efficiencies, according to researchers at the Georgia Institute of
Technology. Lightweight PEM fuel cells are considered the most
promising technology for fuel-cell vehicles, but because they operate
at temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius (the boiling point of
water), they also operate at low efficiencies. By incorporating a
chemical called triazole into the polymer membrane, the Georgia Tech
researchers were able to increase operating temperatures to
120 degrees Celsius. This will not only allow the fuel cells to
operate more efficiently, but will also make them more tolerant of
trace amounts of carbon monoxide in the hydrogen fuel, according to
Georgia Tech. Triazole consists of two carbon atoms and three nitrogen
atoms in a ring, with three hydrogen atoms along its perimeter. The
findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical
Society. See the Georgia Tech press release.